Monday, 16 May 2011

Things are swinging down here in preparation for the reunion! Whats new??

For the ladies who were asking. A rounders match has been included in the reunion Calendar during the Bawi Olympics. Please register before June 30th to be part of the event.

Primary school uniforms can be made per order for the jour overt band. To order, please send your measurements and information to salisburyreunion@gmail.com

For weekly updates, log on to the swinging BawiTv every sunday, from 1:00pm - 3:00pm. Interact with other views and contribute to the show in real time. Meet other community members who are also catching up with the lastest news on the reunion!! See you there!!

Frequently Asked Questions regarding the Reunion 2011

1. How can I help??

There are several ways in which you can help our efforts to make our reunion a success:

i. Financial donations can be sent to the committee via Moneygram. Monies can be sent The Salisbury Reunion Committee C/O Curth Charles.

ii. Make a contribution in kind. Groups or individuals may put together donations in kind in the form of a barrell. These barrels can be shipped in the name Salisbury Enhancement Committee C/O Franklyn Georges or Gerald Williams., Salisbury Dominica.

iv. In order to help us to keep monitoring the number of returnees, please let us know that you are coming, by emailing us at salisburyreunion@gmail.com

v. We are trying to purchase a hi-Fi system for the reunion and beyond. In light of this, we are asking Salisbarians to donate a minimum of $5 in order to meet that requirement, as it is one of the largest expenses for the hosting of the reunion, and can be used during future events.

ROSEAU, Dominica, May 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Preparations are underway for the Caribbean's longest running diving festival — Dominica's 18th annual Dive Fest — scheduled for July 8-17, 2011. Experienced and beginner divers alike will flock to the island, which lies south of Guadeloupe and north of Martinique in the Eastern Caribbean, for one of the most fascinating diving experiences in the Caribbean.

Dominica is rated as one of the top 10 dive locations in the world, with a variety of dive sites that feature dramatic walls and pinnacles, pristine reefs and Champagne snorkeling. Dive Fest educates both novices and experienced divers about the sport of scuba diving and helps raise awareness about Dominica's stunning and unique marine environment. The waters surrounding the island boast healthy, thriving reefs covered in colorful sponges and coral. Seahorses, frogfish, flying gurnards and scorpion fish are commonly spotted in Dominica's waters, but are rarely seen around other Caribbean islands. cont./

Fingers and her baby Thumb swim together off the coast of Dominica. Photo courtesy of Shane Gero.

Dalhousie PhD student Shane Gero likes to talk to the animals—whales to be exact. And not so much talk as listen.

Recently returned from a seven-week visit to Dominica, Mr. Gero has been travelling to the Caribbean island since 2005 to study families of sperm whales, usually spending two to four months of each year working on the Dominica Sperm Whale Project. One of the goals of this project is to record and compare whale calls over time, examining the various phrases and dialects of sperm whale communities.cont./

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday May 5, 2011 - Of the 249 places in the world in which human beings live and work, the small Caribbean island of Dominica (751 sq km) ranks at 187 in size.

Even so, it is bigger than well-known Caribbean tourism destinations such as St Lucia, Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Grenada, Cayman Islands, St Kitts-Nevis, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, and St Marten.

Two reasons account for Dominica being left behind by neighbouring Caribbean islands in the development of tourism. The first is that it has no white, sandy beaches - the iconic symbol of “Caribbean tourism”; and, second, it doesn’t have an international airport. It is served by small aircraft operated by American Eagle from Puerto Rico, and LIAT for inter-island transportation.

Nonetheless, the island is a veritable garden of trees, plants, and colourful flowers. Much of it is luxuriant rain forest, majestic in its spread over mountain ranges and into lush valleys. The entire terrain is adorned by gushing waterfalls; narrow, flowing rivers and hot sulphur springs. Not surprisingly, it is home to hundreds of species of birds. Private operators in Dominica have also developed a vibrant whale-watching industry, taking advantage of the country’s marine life, and providing an added attraction for its visitors. The island, therefore, is as an eco-tourism paradise. cont./

Monday, 2 May 2011

A public reunion meeting was held at Bobot's Bar on April 23 to update the community on the progress of the 2011 Salisbury Reunion.

Chair of the Welcome/Housing/Transport Sub-Committee, Gerald Williams told the public that his committee had identified various lodges and guesthouses within the district to accomodate the masses from overseas. The contact details for those accomodation facilities can be accessed on the bawilinkup website or in the 'Notes' section on the Salisbury Reunion 2011 Facebook page.

Member of the Marketing/Promotion Sub-Committee Ellingsworth Edwards encouraged people to spread the word about the reunion to their friends and family. He reminded the community that now is the time when all hands should be on deck to assist with preparations of the two-week event.

Meanwhile, Hector John, who represented the Magazine Sub-Committee informed that a host of articles and photos have been submitted for publish in the Salisbury Reunion Magazine. He said they were still seeking photos from the Salisbury population reflecting life in Salisbury, historical aspects, etc. cont./

For the first time, Salsibury has a Peace Corps Volunteer in the person of Erin Sozanski.

Sozanski is originally from Buffalo, New York. She studies Religious Studies at Rice University located in Houston, Texas. Erin's expertise ranges from organization of grand social events, working in legal services for children and participating various committees.

Erin, who was officially sworn in as a peace corps in April, will spend two years in Salisbury. She will partner with the Salisbury Enhancement Committee (SEC) Inc. and other groups. She is currently working with students of the Salibury Government School.

Erin is assisting SEC and the Reunion Committee to coordinate the reunion. cont./

Work on the Chinese funded West Coast Road Development Project which extends from Roseau to Portsmouth is currently at an advanced stage with asphalting works now taking place in the Picard, Portsmouth area. Three kilometres of work has already been completed.

Chinese Project Manager of the rehabilitation of the Roseau to Portsmouth West Coast Project, Jing Hao, speaking through an interpreter, told GIS news on Thursday that the asphalting of the road in Portsmouth compliments other works now being done on the project.

He said that the construction of a box culvert on approaching Picard was done to reinstate a failed section of that road and significant improvements were done to drainage structures.

“Presently, we have started paving the road at Portsmouth and we are still doing some other works in the Portsmouth areas. This includes the box culvert, just at the entrance of Picard. Based on our designs, it is not actually what we were supposed to have done but based on the requirements of the Government, we have made certain adjustments. That is pretty much what has been done so far in the Portsmouth area.” cont./

BRIDGETOWN, Barbados, Thursday April 28, 2011 - The Caribbean island of Dominica is fast becoming a living example of the way that China has strengthened its influence by moving into countries that the United States and other Western nations have neglected.

According to a white paper on China's foreign aid issued by China’s State Council on April 21, by the end of 2009 China had aided 161 countries and more than 30 international and regional organizations, including 123 developing countries. Of them, 30 are in Asia, 51 in Africa, 18 in Latin America and the Caribbean, 12 in Oceania and 12 in Eastern Europe. Asia and Africa, home to the largest poor population, have got about 80% of China's foreign aid. cont./

In 2002, The Society for the Conservation and Study of Caribbean Birds introduced the Caribbean Endemic Birds Festival to raise public awareness and appreciation of the region’s rich and threatened bird life.

Hon. Minister for Agriculture and Forestry, Matthew Walter, has said that the Sisserou and Jacko parrots are the only two species endemic to Dominica. As a result, his Ministry has gone to lengths to raise awareness for the conservation of these endangered species along with other species of birds.

“Over the years, the Division, with the support of my Ministry and assistance from the Rare Species Conservatory Foundation and several local partners, has placed great emphasis in producing a high quality programme for the annual Endemic Birds Festival and the division achievements in the field of bird conservation and public awareness have already been noted at the regional level.”

This will be the eighth consecutive year that Dominica will participate in this bird festival. The theme chosen for this year’s festival is, “Go Wild… Go Birding.”cont./

Plans are well underway for the hosting of the 2011 Dominica Festival of Arts (DOMFESTA) celebrations. The festival will run from April 29 to May 29 and is an ideal opportunity to showcase the island’s varied cultural expressions.

Last week the programme of activities for the month long event was officially launched during a ceremony at the Old Mill Cultural Centre.

“DOMFESTA is meant to showcase wholesome and beautiful aspects of our culture in Dominica. It is meant to focus more on the contemporary expressions of our culture as opposed to Carnival and Independence which we see as promoting and focusing more on the traditional aspects of Dominica’s culture. Like all other festivals, it is meant to strengthen our sense of national identity, pride in self, pride in country and of course, giving God thanks for the wonders of our environment and our various cultural expressions.” cont./

Government is willing to work with the private sector in determining how best as a collective it could come up with a strategy to allow some business establishments to remain open to do business within the city of Roseau on a Sunday.

According to the labour laws of Dominica chapter 19:10, Sunday is regarded as a public holiday. The Labour Contract Act Chapter 89:04 states that workers are to be paid double time for performing duties on that day.

Hon. Minister for Employment, Dr. Colin McIntyre, said that with the presence of cruise ships on the island on a Sunday, it is necessary that merchants consider providing a service on a Sunday.

The Minister went on further to state that the labour laws of the country will have to be revisited to facilitate such a change. cont./

West Indies Power (WIP) held a meeting in Soufriere Friday evening to discuss the Geothermal Project that is ongoing in the area.

The upcoming phase will involve drilling a test hole to help WIP decide if there is sufficient geothermal activity to make the construction of a Geothermal Power Plant feasible.

The CEO of WIP, Mr. Kerry McDonald, made a presentation about geothermal energy to a group of concerned Soufreire residents. Accompanying him were Dr. John Sydow, geologist Makeda Warner, and the local WIP Team (Val Cuffy, Paul Toulon and Allan Toussaint).

There was much discussion about the pros and cons of geothermal power. Some of the benefits include: cont./

A place of safety for children at risk was officially opened in Jimmit on Wednesday, 13th April, 2011. The over three million dollar facility dubbed “ Chances” will house about thirty children who have been victims of psychological, physical or sexual abuse for a maximum of six months.

Hon. Minister for Social Services, Community Development and Gender Affairs, Gloria Shillingford, sees the facility as a step closer to providing adequate and secure shelter for young people who suffer abuse.

“Over the years, the Welfare Division has had to craft strategies in response to the growing incidence of reported cases of child abuse in Dominica. But not only cases of sexual abuse, but also physical and psychological abuse and to a lesser extent, abandonment. The statistics on such cases is real cause for concern. The responsibility of finding secure places for these children once they were removed from the endangering environment has not been easy to discharge. This facility brings us a step closer in overcoming the difficulty encountered in providing a safe and secure home for these children at risk.” cont./

Officials from the Forestry, Wildlife and Parks Division is calling on the public to become more aware of the protected species of iguana’s here on the island.

“Usually at this time of the year, we find quite a bit of iguanas crossing the road, particularly the west coast road. There is an area in the Batalie Valley that you find a fairly high concentration of iguanas and one may wonder why there and not other areas. I believe the main reason for this is because just below the road on the sea-ward side, there is a very important nesting site for the iguanas. What we have found out is that the iguanas, in some areas, come together to form what is called communal nesting areas. So far, we have identified two of those; there is one at Batalie, just below south of Sunset Bay Hotel and there is another one at Champagne beach, where, every year, hundreds of iguanas actually come down to nest in those areas. Therefore, when they are crossing the road, they are at great risk of being crushed by vehicles.” cont./

CHARLESTOWN, Nevis, Thursday April 7, 2011 – The White House has given its support to the idea of a submarine electrical interconnection to supply low cost renewable “green” energy from Nevis, West Indies to Puerto Rico.

West Indies Power (WIP) proposes to supply geothermal energy to Puerto Rico, by 2015, via a submarine cable similar to what is already in use in Europe (Norway to Holland).

The US Government’s backing of the idea came in the ‘Report by the President’s Task Force on Puerto Rico’s Status’, which offers concrete proposals to spur the Puerto Rico economy as well as specific transportation, energy and federal programme proposals. cont./Courtesy of:Caribbean360

As you get older and you introspect you understand that very little is coincidence.

Dominica is a small country dominated by a small cabal of families who have little or no interest in the development of the island. In fact, any development which is likely to widen the economic base of this island will be resisted. And any government which does the same will similarly be compromised.

We have one great opportunity to revolutionise Dominica. That is Geothermal energy. It is not beyond this Government to totally screw it up, but I will go on record to say that Geothermal in Dominica is the only chance for the next millenia of fundamentally changing everything about this country. There is no other chance for the country. cont./Courtesy of:Caribbean Man

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Dominica should not be confused with the Dominican Republic.Dominica is located between French-controlled Martinique and Guadeloupe in the eastern Caribbean.

The official name of the island is 'Commonwealth of Dominica' Dominica's pre-Columbian name wasWai'tu kubuli, which means 'tall is her body'...Dominica is referred as the 'Nature Island', where two-thirds of the island are home to the tropical rain forests and thousands of plant species.

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